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. R. '13. RAIN. MULTIPLE OYLINDER VAPOR ENGINE.

No. 599,653. Patented Feb. 22, 1898,

I'D" I J Milne s.

n1: Norms PETERS co, PHDTOJJTHQ. WASHINGTON o c UNITED STATES PATENTQEEIGE.

RALPH B. HAIN, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MIOIIIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE MONITORVAPOR'ENGINE AND POWER OOMPANY, OF sAME PLACE.

MULTIPLE-CYLINDER VAPOR-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,653, dated February22, 1898.' Application filed February 6, 1897. Serial No. 622,290. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, RALPH B. HAIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at, Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple-CylinderVapor-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in multiple-cylinder vapor-engines;and its obje'ct is to provide the same with certain new and usefulfeatures hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed outin the claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in whichI v Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a device embodying myinvention, and Fig. 2 a plan view of the same with parts broken away toshow the construction. I

Like letters refer to like parts in both figures.

The device consists, essentially, of a series ofbase compressioncombustible-vapor en-' gines, having a common crank-shaft, with cranksset at. such relative angles that the engines act in succession, thecharge in the first engine in the series being fired by the usual meansand the other charges being firedin succession by the escape of aportion of the charge of the preceding engine through a suit-,

able port connecting the various cylinders of the engines.

A A A are the cylinders.

B is the intake and firing port of the first cylinder, closed by a checkE and provided With firing mechanism D.

B are passages from each base to the upper end of each cylinder, whichpassages are closed by checks E. The series of cylinders are connectedby ports B, provided with checks E, Each p'ort opens into the cylinderfirst in series at such point that said port will be uncovered by thepiston Nin that cylinder when the piston in the next cylinder is at thebeginning of its power stroke. This point will depend on the relativeangle at which the cranks L are adjusted, which angle is preferably notmore than sixty degrees. The

.of the next cylinder in the series.

other end of said port B opens into the top Each cylinder is providedwith a piston N, connected by a rod M to one of the cranks L aforesaid.Each cylinder is also provided with an exhaust-port 0, opened by thedescent of the piston to exhaust the charge, and each base also has theusual intake Ofor the incoming charge.

Each check E is provided with a stop to hold the same closed,consistingof a screw K,adapted to be turned down on said check.

Relief-valves F arev provided on each cylinder and base, except thefirst in the series. The one on the middle base is not shown in thedrawings. Said valves are each held closed by a spring I, engaging aknob J on the valve-stem and held open by a pawl G,

engaging a groove H in said stem.

1- The operation of the first engine in the series, when the check Ebetween it and the next one is closed andthe relief-valves F are allopen, is the same as a complete single-cylinderbase compression-engine,the other pistons running idle and working air freely I throughtherelief-valves F. By closing the relief-valves of the next cylinderand base and releasing the check E between it and the first cylinderthissecond cylinder will take charges through 0 andBi the same as the firstcylinder. Said charges will be fired as the piston of the first cylinderdescends and uncovers the port B" by a portion of the charge in thefirst cylinder escaping through said port. The third cylinder in theseries can in like mannerbe brought into action by releasing itscheck-valve E and closing its relief-valves F F. The drawings show butthree cylinders; but it is evident that the series may be prolongedindefinitely. By adding three more cylinders and placing the cranks atsixty degrees apart the cylinders would come into action in successionequidistant around the entire revolution of the shaft, thus making avery steady impulse. Any desired number of .cylinders could be thusconnected in series in series, as described. By cutting out a part ofthe cylinders, as described, the power is more economically reduced thanby reduced charges in a single large cylinder.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and Wish tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a multiple-cylinder vapor-engine, the combination of the twocylinders, a piston in each of said cylinders, a crank-shaft common toboth of said pistons, a firing mechanism upon the leading cylinder only,and ports connecting said cylinders, said ports being so arranged andsaid pistons operating in such relation to each other and to said portsas that the respective ports will be uncovered by the leading pistonsubstantially when the succeeding piston begins its working stroke and aportion of the charge flows from the one cylinder to the other toexplode the charge in said other cylinder at the proper time,substantially as described.

2. A multiple-cylinder vapor-engine, consisting essentially of a seriesof cylinders having pistons connected to a crank-shaft and acting on thesame in succession, ports connecting said cylinders in series and openedby the movements of the pistons successively to permit a portion of thecharge to flow from one cylinder to the other to fire the charge in saidother cylinder, and means for firing the charges in the first cylinderof the series of cylinders, substantially as described.

3. A multiple-cylinder vapor-engine, consisting essentially of a seriesof cylinders having pistons connected to a crank-shaft and acting on thesame in succession, ports connecting said cylinders in series andthrough which the firing charges flow, a check-valve for controlling theflow between said ports, means for locking said check-valve in closedposition, a relief-valve in one cylinder, and means for locking saidrelief-valve in open position.

4. In a multiple-cylinder vapor-engine, the combination of a series ofcylinders, pistons connected to a crank-shaft, said shaft having cranksarranged at an acute angle to each other and to move the pistons inseries, firing mechanism for the first cylinder of the series, portsconnecting the remaining cylinders, checks in said ports, means forclosing said checks, and relief-valves on the bases and cylinders,except the first of the series, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a complete and operative vapor-engine, one ormore supplementary engines, acting in succession therewith and upon acommon crank-shaft, ports connecting said engines in series and arrangedto be uncovered by the leading piston, substantially when the succeedingpiston begins its working strokes, checks in said ports, means forholding said checks closed, reliefvalves in the cylinders and bases,having springs to close the same and pawls engaging grooves in thevalve-stems to hold the same open, substantially as described.

6. In a multiple-cylinder vapor-engine, a series of cylinders, and basesconnected therewith, a shaft extending through said bases and having acrank in each base, said cranks being arranged in series, pistons inSaid cylinders connected to said cranks by rods, ports connecting saidcylinders in series,and opened by each preceding piston in the series asthe succeeding piston begins its power stroke, exhaust-ports in saidcylinders opened by said pistons, intake-ports in each base, passagesfrom each base to the top of the corresponding cylinder, check-valves inthe connectingports, means for holding said valves closed, relief-valveson the cylinders and bases and an igniter on the first cylinder of theseries to fire the charges therein, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH B. HAIN. Witnesses:

LEWIS E. FLANDERS, LUTHER V. MOULION.

